1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method which performs processing such as cleaning on various types of substrates such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for photomask, glass substrates for liquid crystal display, glass substrates for plasma display and optical disk substrates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional substrate processing apparatuses of this type include a substrate processing apparatus in which a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer is horizontally held as it is slightly floated from a support base (base member) which is to seat substrates, and the top surface of the substrate is processed as a processing liquid such as a photo-resist liquid and a cleaning liquid is supplied to the top surface of the substrate or using a cleaning mechanism such as a cleaner brush while rotating the support base. In the substrate processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Gazette No. H10-275766 for instance, plural substrate support pins are disposed upright on a support base, and a substrate is positioned and held as the substrate support pins abut on a rim portion of the substrate. The top surface of the substrate is then processed, as a processing liquid is supplied or with the cleaning mechanism abutting on the substrate while rotating the substrate. In the conventional apparatus, since a substrate is held as it is slightly floated from a surface of the support base as described above, the bottom surface of the substrate is protected against a damage, contamination and the like which will occur if the substrate is mounted on the support base in contact with the support base.